Guided tours for children

Ferdinand celebrates! 

6 years and older

Archduke Ferdinand II (1525–1595), territorial prince in Innsbruck, caused Ambras Castle to be rebuilt for his wife Philippine Welser and was the first to found a proper museum in order to display his collections. At Ambras he also celebrated great parties with fine tableware that is still preserved in his Kunstkammer. A ‘trap chair’ also played a role….

Of knights and heroes 

5 years and older

Who wore a suit of armour, and on which occasions? How was it produced? After an informative tour through the halls of armour, we will inspect original pieces of armour in greater detail…

Fabulous creatures 

5 years and older

Archduke Ferdinand II was very interested in animals. He loved to go hunting, and even had his own game reserve. In Ferdinand’s Chamber of Art and Wonders there are also many animals to discover. We will go on a hunt for these animals and hear some fantastic stories! 

Why did you have to cut down a tree to capture an elephant? Are unicorns really so wonderful? Where do peacock butterflies come from and what do they have to do with the winged horse? 

Living like a prince/princess 

6 years and older

Was life at Ambras Castle 450 years ago completely different than today? How did people wash, what did they eat, what clothes did they wear, what medicines were given to people who were ill? We will explore the castle and, in doing so, meet Ferdinand II and Philippine Welser. 

Zeus, Hercules & Co. 

8 years and older

In the sixteenth century the world of Antiquity was all the rage. We will not only meet Hercules and Zeus, but also Perseus who holds the head of Medusa in his hand, Actaeon, who was a bit too curious for his own good, and many more. We will plunge into the mythology and heroic stories of antiquity. Will we find out who Ferdinand II’s favourite hero was? 

A journey around the world 

7 years and older

The Kunstkammer at Ambras Castle is the oldest still-preserved museum in the world: we discover corals, coconuts, porcelain bowls, elephant tusks, pictures of unusual people, sparkling crystals, and many more treasures.  

Harry Potter and the Chambers of Ambras 

7 years and older

Harry, Hermione, Ron & Co could also survive their adventures in our castle! In an exciting mystery game, we will explore many parallels with the world of the apprentice wizard. 

With a sponge and some soap – the bathroom of Philippine Welser 

8 years and older

‘In the olden days people didn’t bathe’ – wrong! Philippine Welser, the wife of Archduke Ferdinand II, had a huge bathtub that could hold thousands of litres of water. But why was the tub so huge? What soaps and medicines were used? What did a bather do, and what is an ear spoon? We will dive into the bathing premises at Ambras – the only ones preserved from the sixteenth century. 

Gregor Baci - CSI Ambras Castle 

8 years and older

Tournaments were incredibly dangerous and the participants did not always get off lightly. This is shown by the fact alone that popes in the Middle Ages continually tried to ban them. The nobleman Gregor Baci survived a terrible tournament accident. His portrait in Archduke Ferdinand’s collection shows it precisely: but how on earth is it possible to survive after a spear has gone through your head? With the aid of a 3-D reconstruction of Gregor Baci’s skull, we will get to the bottom of this ‘miracle’.

‘Fine feathers make fine birds’

8 years and older

This tour offers a comprehensive insight into the extravagant fashions from the fifteenth up to the eighteenth century. Did people wear underwear in those days? How did you put on a corset or a hooped skirt, or a coat of chain mail? And what is a codpiece?